


Continental Breakfast

by mantisbelle



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Hangover, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Morning After
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-02
Updated: 2016-12-02
Packaged: 2018-09-03 18:08:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8724775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mantisbelle/pseuds/mantisbelle
Summary: Qrow just wants breakfast. James just wants to sleep.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know what this is. It exists?

"Can we get breakfast?" Qrow sat cross-legged next to James in bed, dressed in nothing but his boxers and not really interested in going back to sleep. Beside him, James was lying face down, with his face buried in his pillow and a death grip on the sheets that probably wasn't going to be stopping anytime soon.

It wasn't hard for Qrow to figure out why. There had been a lot of drinks going around the night before, and he couldn't exactly blame James for being hit harder by it than he was. Qrow had a tolerance- James had a lower ability to metabolize things than he did.

It only made sense that he'd be sitting up now, with a stomach growling, waiting for James to finally drag himself out of bed so that the two of them could eat.

Wishful thinking probably.

"Go get breakfast yourself." James grumbled, turning his head slightly. When Qrow managed to spot James' expression through it all, he saw that James' expression was screwed up in pain. "You don't need me."

Qrow rolled his eyes and stretched out in the bed next to James. He scooted in close enough that he could rest his head on the edge of James' pillow and just watched James as his partner tried to rest.

The last few days had been rough on them both. Getting back to civilization after any mission tended to put a certain sort of fire in you, adding on celebration, exhaustion, and the fact that it had been a while since either had eaten a proper meal, it made for a pretty dangerous cocktail.

They'd gone overboard the night before, and now James was paying for it.

Qrow almost felt bad because of the fact that he didn't feel that bad about it at all. He'd just been interested in drinking to celebrate that one of Ozpin's wild goose chases had finally panned out for the first time in ever. 

 "Breakfast would make you feel better." Qrow mumbled, reaching out to rub James' shoulder gently. He only found himself being pushed away roughly by James' metal hand. That just left Qrow frowning- he was fairly certain that he hadn't done anything that annoying.  "C'mon Jim."

"No." James groaned. "I'm not getting up until my- _fuck-_ head stops hurting."

"It'll help." Qrow deadpanned. "And it's better than the rations and bush meat that we've been eating."

"Qrow, just go get breakfast yourself." James turned on his side, facing away from Qrow and towards a blank white wall instead. "You don't need me."

 Qrow's eyes narrowed at that. He knew fully well at this point that he probably wasn't going to be getting his way unless he either accepted James' complaining and went alone or he forced James out of bed and physically dragged him down to the first floor of the inn where there would surely be food available.

That said, Qrow knew that James wasn't exactly a fan of showing up for breakfasts anywhere with him. It was mostly because James was too highly aware of the fact that anonymity wasn't so achievable for him anymore. He'd lost that ability when he'd accidentally made a name for himself and followed it up with two fairly significant promotions.

Qrow could disappear and nobody would notice him. Nobody would talk.

For a second, Qrow had to wonder how much of James' unwillingness to join him for breakfast had to do with the hangover, and how much of it had to do with general shyness.

"Jim, I want to have breakfast with you." Qrow mumbled as he pressed himself in against James. "Seriously. Get up."

 "Qrow, leave me alone." James finally forced himself upright and turned to face James with squinted, angry, dark eyes that were accompanied closely by dark circles. "It's 8:30 in the morning, I have a hangover, and you're _annoying_ me."

 "I'm not that bad." Qrow grumbled as he sat upright and shot James a glare. He watched as James climbed out of bed, still completely nude, before stalking off to the bathroom to presumably shower and make himself feel presentable. He frowned, knowing fully well that this was partially just James refusing to talk to him about what was wrong- which was namely, why James didn't want to get breakfast with him.

From the bathroom, Qrow could hear the shower clicking on. That meant that he was going to have some time to himself before it was time for them to get going, not that Qrow minded that. He stood up and went to the small fridge that was in the corner of their room.

In theory, the supplies that the two of them had dumped there the night before would still be there- Qrow highly doubted that they'd ended up touching rations or their canteens overnight.

Flasks were another story, but just water was another thing.

Qrow knelt down in front of the fridge and rifled around inside until he found James' canteen. He pulled it out and shook it, listening for the sound of water sloshing about inside.

He was rewarded with the sound, and Qrow stood back up. James was probably going to be out of the shower in a few minutes and then he'd be coming in and beginning to get ready for the day ahead of them.

Qrow walked over to the bed and tossed the canteen down onto it before flopping into place himself.

The bed was still kind of warm from the spot where James had been resting. It was comforting- the sort of feeling that Qrow was happy to just let himself drift away on forever.

He was going to get James water, hope that James would be happy to get breakfast after that, and then hopefully the two of them would get to talk.

Maybe.

Qrow was largely expecting that he was going to end up having to go downstairs to get food alone. James wasn't going to want to be seen with him because of some fear of shame that would follow them.

It was obnoxious, really. Qrow and James had been doing this for how long? Qrow swore that he and James had been in their relationship- whatever it was, for years. The frustrating part was that everything was kept behind closed doors. In theory Ozpin knew. Maybe Glynda- that depended on whether she and James had gotten along long enough for James to get comfortable enough that he could talk to her about anything.

But even now- when people could assume that the two of them were sharing rooms in inns for convenience, James was never willing to go out with him.

There hadn't been any problems the night before.

But it always was like this the morning after, almost every time.

From where Qrow was, he could hear the sound of the water running disappear, which meant that James was going to be out in a minute.

He let out a heavy sigh and let his eyes slip shut before flipping how he was lying. Once James came out of the bathroom, he'd be able to just offer up the canteen and then that would be the end of it all. James would just take it and they would go back to not talking.

Great.

But if it was all that James was going to let him do that morning, then he was willing to take it.

At least he could help the guy kill his hangover for a little bit.

The bathroom door opened and James stepped out of it,  still looking exhausted and mostly worse for the wear, but he was at least clean. Qrow sat up partially and held the canteen out in James' direction.

James stopped where he was standing, clutching at the towel that he'd wrapped around his waist with his right before taking the canteen from Qrow and whispering a quiet "thank you."

Qrow pulled his eyes away from James, knowing that despite everything James would want his privacy while he got dressed. The fact that he and Qrow had literally spent all night naked in bed together didn't matter- James needed his time to get ready.

Just another on Qrow's list of annoyances.

But Qrow forced himself out of bed and pulled on the cleanest set of clothes that he had left on him- which coincidentally, was the same set of gear that he'd been wearing the day that he and James had set out.

"So, breakfast?" Qrow asked again, this time hoping that now that James was cleaned up and dressed he might be more open to getting a meal together. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the way that James paused as he was about to slip on that damned glove.

They managed to go most of the mission with James foregoing it, but once they were around people again…

Qrow tried to ignore the pang in his chest that told him that things weren't working out so well.

James sighed heavily. "Why didn't you just go and get something to eat while I was in the shower."

And there it was. Qrow rolled his eyes and turned to face James directly, shoving his hands down into his pockets and trying not to end up looking like a petulant child. "I just wanted to enjoy a meal with my _lover."_ Qrow couldn't pretend that he was going to apologize for the phrasing. He had nothing to apologize for.

"Qrow-"

"Why won't you come down there with me, Jimmy?" Qrow stepped in close to James, knowing that the best way to get what he wanted would probably be to just push until James had no choice but to give in. Either that or expect a push back that wasn't exactly going to be nice.

"It's James."

"I don't care." Qrow replied quickly. "Answer the question."

James' mouth opened just a tiny bit, before clamping back shut. Qrow could see the way that James' jaw tensed as he thought. "Qrow-"

"Jim."

"Look, its just.." James sighed heavily as he finished pulling that glove on and checking that it was in place properly. "It's not professional."

"Is that why you hide me?" Qrow glared at James, stepping in closer again. "Because I'm not _professional_?"

"That's not-"

"Eat breakfast with me." Qrow snapped, this time trying to make it sound more like an order than anything else. He didn't have the same sorts of ways of talking as James did when it came to things like this. He didn't have a General Voice, the closest he could get was the tone that he used with students back at Signal, but he could try. "Nobody's going to think two huntsmen sharing a meal is weird. Especially when they're on a long mission together."

"Qrow-"

"Jim." Qrow locked his eyes with James'. "Please don't do this to me."

James tore his eyes away, and turned with his entire body. Qrow could almost swear that he saw James move to hold himself. Whatever that was about, it wasn't a good thing, that was for sure.

"Can't you just go get something and bring it up here?"

"Nah." Qrow answered, stepping in and reaching out to touch James' shoulder. "I want to be… out there with you."

"Qrow-"

"Nobody will notice, Jim." Qrow said. "Promise."

"Promise?"

"Yes." Qrow stepped in close to James and wrapped his arms around James' waist, pulling himself in close to James' body. "C'mon. Let's go get something to eat. You'll feel better.

"We have to head back to Vale today." James mumbled.

"We can enjoy ourselves first." Qrow rested his head against the back of James' right shoulder- just as a reminder that he was there. He let his eyes flit shut as he wrapped himself in the comfort of the knit of James' sweater, his scent, his warmth. "C'mon, breakfast."

James sighed heavily enough that Qrow could feel it. "Okay." He finally managed. "We'll get breakfast."

Qrow let a smile crease his face. He relaxed his grip on James and pushed himself up onto the tips of his toes so that he could press a kiss to the back of James' neck. The kiss turned into him smiling against James' skin when he felt James shudder under his touch.

It was the best he could hope for that morning.

They'd talk about this later.

For now, hangover cures were the most important thing.

Qrow led the way down to the dining room downstairs so that the two of them could share a meal. Once they started eating, James was going to get worked up talking about schedules and any last orders of business before the headed out.

Once they were home, that was going to be when they resolved things.

But getting James to eat breakfast with him was a start- a baby first step that would hopefully pan out and grow into something more.

Qrow could deal with that.

**Author's Note:**

> Any and all comments and criticism are greatly appreciated.
> 
> [I'm on tumblr. Sometimes stuff happens. I'm always willing to take questions there!](http://tyrian-callows.tumblr.com/)


End file.
